


Save Tonight

by asymmetricalJester



Series: Bad Dates and Good Advice [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Slow Burn, Stalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 02:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3879061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asymmetricalJester/pseuds/asymmetricalJester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Bad Dates and Good Advice</p><p>Steve wants to forget his awful date, and focus on his budding friendship with Bucky, but it seems that his date doesn't want the same things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Eventually I'm going to be known in this fandom for stalker fics
> 
> I'm calling it right now.
> 
> I was just gonna forget about the bad date for this part and focus on Bucky and Steve's relationship but THAT WOULD BE A HUGE PLOT HOLE. 
> 
> So I'm keeping up with it. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone who commented or left a kudos on Bad Dates, you guys mean the world to me and you're all really encouraging. 
> 
> There is gonna be at least one more part, lemme assure you. I can't leave it like this, the stalker hasn't been revealed and Bucky and Steve haven't hooked up yet. What kind of fic writer would I be if I didn't include more angst and some romance between them. 
> 
> This is unbeated so if there are any mistakes feel free to let me know!!
> 
> Anyway, as always comments and kudos are really appreciated and I hope you guys enjoy this fic~!
> 
> I can be found at caffeinatedroyalty.tumblr.com

As it turned out, the best advice Steve had ever gotten was given to him at almost one am, after the worst date of his life. 

He’d never thought about it like Bucky had put it, but he really did spend all of his time trying to make everyone else happy. It was in his nature to stand up for the little guy, to make sure everyone else was okay, and to not worry about himself. He never really realized that maybe letting his friends push this wasn’t so much for him, as it was for them. 

It had ever actually occurred to Steve that his friends thought he was lonely because he was single, when he was actually pretty content with his life. When Peggy picked him up from Bucky’s, with the promise that they’d get together very soon, he brought it up to her and the two of them wound up having a long conversation. Tears were shed, hugs were given, and a plan was made. Operation leave Steve’s love life the hell alone was a go.

Steve didn’t really know what he expect from this, but what he hadn’t expected was for his friends to actually honor his wishes. No one brought up blind dates anymore, or single friends, not after Steve explained how his last date had gone. 

It was freeing really, not having to force himself to meet new people every week and turn them down because he just wasn’t feeling it. He didn’t have to get dressed up, he could stay home in sweats and draw or watch netflix for hours. 

He found himself spending time with Bucky, more so after he found out about their mutual friends. Once he found out Sam was his therapist, and Natasha was his best friend he was left wondering how they’d never met before. In all fairness, Natasha had mentioned her friend named James before. Steve had just never connected it because he knew him as Bucky, and assumed that all of Bucky’s friends called him that. He underestimated how stubborn Nat was though. 

Steve was pretty sure the month after he met Bucky was one of the best he’d had in years. 

Xx

The day found Steve in Bucky’s apartment, watching some cheesy B movie on tv. They were both making fun of it, because even though it was terrible it was one of the few things that didn’t set off a panic attack in Bucky.

The first time they had watched a movie together, Steve had discovered Bucky couldn’t watch anything with explosions in it. They typically stuck to comedies, kids movies, and silly horror movies. The more realistic slasher flicks could set Bucky off too, although he wouldn’t explain exactly why.

Steve wasn’t holding it against him, he knew that Bucky had been in the army at one point, that was how he lost his arm, but he didn’t want to push the other man. Their friendship was more important to Steve than his curiosity. 

The movie was a gore fest, but the blood was cheap and fake so Steve was making fun of it. He knew Bucky enjoyed Steve’s commentary, at least he assumed he did judging by the grin plastered on his face. Steve didn’t even hear the buzzing of his phone at first, not until Bucky nudged him and raised an eyebrow. 

“Your phone has gone off three times in the last five minutes, you gonna get that?” he asked, scooting a little bit closer to Steve. The blonde just sighed and pulled out his phone, frowning at the number. He didn’t know it.

His phone started to buzz again, same number, and he answered with a little grimace. “Steve Rogers, what can I do for you?” he asked, confusion flooding his face at the dead silence on the end of the line. 

“Hello? Is someone there? I think you have the wrong number” he tried, frowning more at the lack of response. After a few more moments the line went dead. 

Steve frowned at his phone and then shrugged. “Must have pocket dialed me,” he said, shrugging and putting his phone away. The ordered chinese food later, turning on Beauty and Beast as they ate their food. 

Steve didn’t think anything of the call until the next evening, at the same time, he started getting calls again from the same number. 

He didn’t realize what number it was at first, so he answered. He was met with more silence, no matter how many questions he asked. Eventually the caller hung up, just like the day before, leaving Steve bewildered and a little concerned. 

He saved the number in his phone as “Do not Answer” and left it at that, hoping that whoever it was would just leave him alone eventually. 

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. The next night he was with Peggy, having their weekly dinner, and his phone started to ring. He checked the number and muted the call, ignoring it. It went off again, and again, and again, for over an hour before Peggy finally made him answer it. Yet again he was greeted with silence, so Steve hung up right away. He frowned at his phone and waited to see if it would ring again, but it never did. 

It continued for weeks, a call at the same time every day. Steve got into the habit of answering, waiting a minute, and then hanging up. It was odd, but Steve didn’t see a reason to be concerned. They weren’t saying anything, and he wasn’t being followed or anything. It was just weird to him. 

It wasn’t until two months after the calls started that things changed. Steve was spending time with Bucky, and their friendship had progressed. They were spending several days a week together, basically living in each others pockets. They constantly texted or talked on the phone, marathoning shows and movies at least once a week and getting dinner or lunch together whenever possible. Steve wouldn’t hesitate to call Bucky one of his best friends, and if he was honest with himself he was starting to develop a crush on the other man.

The brunette was everything Steve wanted in a partner. He was smart as hell, had great taste in music and movies, and he was stunning. Of course, he didn’t think any of this was true about himself but Steve didn’t mind telling him he was wrong. Their relationship was full of easy banter, sass, sarcasm, and Steve thought it was drifting towards flirting as of late. He couldn’t have been happier with the way things were going in his life.

Bucky had been right, he just needed to stop trying and let it happen. 

The pair had decided on take out and a silly horror movie, deciding to have a quiet night in because Bucky had had a panic attack earlier that day. Somedays he was fine after them, but on others it took hours to feel okay again. And then there were the rare ones, like the one he had earlier that day, that made him want to curl up and hide for weeks at a time. Steve had only ever seen one of those in the few months they had known each other, and he knew Bucky was working really hard to even be able to see him that evening. It made him feel good about himself, like he was really worth the other man’s time. 

They were sitting next to each other on the couch, close enough to touch but not. Bucky had slowly been inching towards Steve all night, seemingly wanting to touch him but unable to. Steve wasn’t commenting on it, not wanting to scare him or cause another panic attack. If Bucky wanted to cuddle, all he had to do was lean over a little bit. Steve wasn’t going to push it. He’d take whatever pace the other man wanted to set things at. 

Steve’s phone was on the coffee table, muted and face down so he wouldn’t see the calls. He had decided to ignore them that night, not wanting his mysterious caller to upset the already anxious Bucky. 

Bucky had been telling Steve to call the police, but the blonde didn’t see how it was bad enough to warrant getting the authorities involved. 

The movie was reaching the climax when Steve felt Bucky press into his side, and he let out a content little sigh when the other man buried his face in Steve’s neck. His arm slid around the blonde’s waist and he clung to him, almost as if he was afraid of what was going on on the screen. Steve knew he couldn’t be afraid, it was probably the cheesiest movie they’d seen to date, but he didn’t say a word about it. He just let Bucky cling to him, enjoying how it felt to have the other man pressed against him.

Steve’s developing feelings for Bucky were slow growing, but they were there. He wasn’t sure if the other man saw him as anything more than a friend, and he found he didn’t mind if nothing ever came of his feelings. He shivered slightly at the sensation of Bucky’s breath on his neck, a small grin on his lips. “Pay attention, you’ll miss the ending,” Steve murmured, making sure to keep his hands in his lap no matter how he wanted to run his fingers through Bucky’s hair. 

The other man looked up at him, and Steve had to suppress another shiver. His eyes were dark, filled with something Steve couldn’t place. It was a look he’d never seen on Bucky before. “It’s a shitty movie, who cares how it ends,” he mumbled back, voice raspy from disuse. He hadn’t said much since Steve had arrived, reverting to writing things down or using the limited sign language Clint and Steve had been teaching him. It wasn’t very easy to do one handed, but he was trying.

Steve bit his lower lip, meeting Bucky’s eyes. He couldn’t suppress another shiver, looking away before he did something they’d both regret. His eyes landed on his phone, and he leaned forward, mostly to distract himself from the desire pooling in his gut. 

He glanced at Bucky, blushing slightly at the disappointed look on the other man’s face. “If it sucks that much turn something else on. We could watch Beauty and the Beast again,” he suggested, unlocking his phone and frowning at it. He had only two notifications, one for a missed call and the other for a voice mail. 

Chewing at his lip, he started to listen to the voice mail. Worst case, something bad happened while he had his phone on silent so he could ignore his obsessive caller. Best case, someone was trying to contact him about a commission. 

An eerily familiar voice spoke quietly over the line, freezing Steve in his seat. He listened to it three times before he realized that Bucky was talking to him, trying to get his attention. 

“Steve? Stevie? Come on, talk to me doll, you’re freaking me out here,” the other man was saying, gently squeezing Steve’s knee to try and ground him. He knew a panic attack when he saw one, and Steve was definitely having one. 

Steve’s phone slipped out of his hand and clattered to the floor, is breathing becoming erratic and there was enough of a wheeze to concern Bucky. The other man pulled Steve to his chest, holding him still as he talked gently in his ear and tried to bring him down. 

After a little bit, Steve’s breathing finally evened out and he found his voice. “Do you remember the night we met?” he asked, after a long moment of sitting there and trying to find the right words. 

Bucky nodded, shifting so he could look at Steve’s face. The blonde looked troubled, and scared. “That guy that was following me, I thought it was my date. I was right. I think… I think he’s the one sending me all of these calls. I think he’s still following me,” he mumbled, tears welling up. Bucky cocked his head at him, brows furrowed. 

“What did he say?” the brunette asked, keeping his voice gentle so he didn’t accidentally upset Steve further. The blonde took a deep breath, face becoming pained.

“Don’t freak out, okay? He uh… He said, ‘So you’ll let him put his dick in you, but you wouldn’t let me? A-am I gonna have to mark you up so that cripple gets the hint? Stop seeing him, or… Or I’ll make sure you regret it,’” Steve quoted, voice cracking towards the end of of it. 

Bucky’s eyes went hard and his jaw tightened. He picked the phone up from the floor, tapping on it for a second before putting it to his ear. After a moment, he spoke. “Don’t ever call this number again. If you do, I’ll make sure you’re the one who regrets it.” His voice was hard, angry. As soon as he was done talking, he hung up and tapped away for another moment. 

“I blocked the number. If he calls again, we’re involving the police,” he said, and it actually freaked Steve out a bit how angry he sounded. He nodded slowly, taking his phone back and pressing it to his chest. 

Steve watched him for a moment, bewildered and growing angry. “You know it’s not that easy right? Just telling him to go away won’t make him stop. He’s probably really pissed now Bucky, and we have no idea what he’ll do!” Steve exclaimed, standing up. 

Bucky stood up too, looking angry. “What did you want to do then? He’d be pissed either way, cause there is no way in hell that I am letting you go,” he snapped, looking angrier than Steve had ever seen him. 

Steve wasn’t one to back down from a fight though, being as stubborn as he was. “I don’t care if you’re strong Bucky, we don’t know what this guy is capable of!” he snapped back, taking a step forward so he was in Bucky’s personal space. “But you’re too stubborn to see that, and you act without thinking!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me Steve! I’m trying to look out for you, and you’re being completely ridiculous right now!” Bucky argued, taking a step forward as well. They were almost chest to chest, although Bucky dwarfed Steve. 

“I don’t need you to look out for me Bucky! I don’t need help, I can fucking handle this myself!” the blonde yelled, pushing at Bucky’s chest in anger. 

The brunette wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist and yanked him to his body. Steve’s breath caught in his throat, and his eyes went wide at the look on Bucky’s face. “The thing is Steve, you don’t have to. There are people that care about you, love you even. You don’t have to deal with this creep on your own and you need to stop getting so fucking mad when someone tries to help you.” His voice had gone from loud and angry to soft, almost tired sounding. He released Steve and slumped onto the couch, looking defeated. 

“I’m sorry if I crossed a line but… I’m scared Steve, okay? That’s fucking hard for me to admit but I am. You got shoved into my life, and you’re probably the best thing that’s happened to me in years. I don’t… I don’t want to risk losing that…” he mumbled, and Steve’s heart ached. 

He sat down next to Bucky, reaching out and placing a delicate hand on Bucky. “Hey, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to get so upset, I just… I’m scared too Buck. You’re really important to me, I don’t want you to get hurt because this guy can’t take no for an answer,” he mumbled, blushing faintly as Bucky covered Steve’s hand with his own. 

“I promise I’m not gonna get hurt. Can you just please go to the police about this already? The threat and the call logs are enough for at least a restraining order. If he’s stupid enough to go against that he’ll get locked up,” Bucky said, looking like he might start pleading with Steve.

The blonde frowned. “Buck, I don’t think it’s that easy. I… I guess I can try though. If it’ll make you feel better anyway,” he mumbled, head tilting to the side. 

Bucky gave him a weak smile and slumped on the couch, eyes shutting from exhaustion. It occurred to Steve then how much this all must have taken out of Bucky, considering the man had had a severe panic attack earlier that day. 

“I should go, let you get some rest,” Steve mumbled, standing and turning towards the door. He was surprised when Bucky grabbed onto his wrist, and he looked back at the man. 

Bucky looked desperate, eyes so sad and mouth turned down slightly. “Stay,” he whispered, “Please. I need you tonight.”

The admission shocked Steve, but he sat right back down and curled up against the other man’s side. There was a tiny flame burning in his gut, a foreign but not totally unwelcome feeling of desire for the man sitting next to him. 

Maybe eventually, Steve would want more than what he had with Bucky. For the moment though? He was more than content to fall asleep with the man beside him.


End file.
